Sa Pa - a Northern Getaway

Vietnam is a mountainous country, and when the French colonized it, it promptly went about building mountain retreats to allow the elites to escape the humid tropical climes that predominates most of the country.  Sa Pa is the best-known mountain getaway in the North, with Dalat being the one in the South.  I have asked my Vietnamese friends which was better.  The reply was "it depends", clearly conveying that there are differences in the offering.  Having been to Dalat in earlier in the year, I made the long journey to Sa Pa at year end - this time with the family - with a desire to answer that question for myself over the two gems of Vietnam.  

In general, in terms of tourist infrastructure, Sa Pa is far less developed.  This is somewhat linked to its history. Throughout the bloody conflicts that Vietnam has had in the 20th century, the hill resort of Dalat in the south remained an oasis of peace.  The base infrastructure, including the airport, the railway station, the golf courses and villas, remained intact.  The location was always used by the powers that be as a retreat.  Sa Pa in contrast was completely destroyed twice.  The first was during the First Indochina War which pitted the Viet Minh against the French, and the second during the brief Sino-Vietnamese war in 1979, when Sa Pa was part of the area that was invaded by the Chinese.  Sa Pa was abandoned completely until the 1990s when the Vietnamese government agreed to have it developed as a tourist resort again.  There were reportedly only 40 hotel rooms at that time.  Today, Sa Pa has thousands of hotel rooms with new ones being added all the time.  But it still has a lot of catching up to do. The nearest golf course is in Lao Cai.  Dalat already has three golf courses.  It is also not surprising that the population of Dalat (400K) is more than four times that of Sa Pa (90K). 

Sa Pa is also more remote than Dalat.  It takes about 45 minutes to get to Dalat by flight from Ho Chi Minh City.  But the only way to access Sa Pa is by road.  Hanoi is 300km away.  There are two options.  The first is to take a train from Hanoi to the nearest large town from Sa Pa called Lao Cai.  This is the border town adjacent to the Chinese city of Hekou, Yunnan Province - I stopped by to just enjoy the view of the border.  From here, you have to hop on a vehicle to get to Sa Pa, which can cost as low as USD2 using a bus, and around USD20 for a taxi.   

The alternative is to catch a bus or a car direct from Hanoi. I had expected a difficult journey.  But the trip was actually pleasantly smooth, for once you are out of Hanoi, it's a highway all the way till Lao Cai.  A friend of mine took a sleeper bus which I thought was a good option.  This cost about USD18 each way.  But he did not quite like it.  As he also travelled with his family, he felt that everyone was separated into their own compartment and there was no interaction along the way.  He also felt uncomfortably having to lie down all the way.  As such, I chose the more expensive option of chartering a van which could take 8 people and allowed us to chat and listen to music together.  This cost around USD400 return, or around USD25 per person each way.  The benefit of this is that the vehicle will pick you from anywhere in Hanoi and drop you anywhere in Sapa at a time of your choosing.   So that saves the hassle of more transfers.

There was also the question as to whether an overnighter was worthwhile.  I think not.  Firstly, the five-hour journey is too short for one to have a good night sleep.  Furthermore, you will have to step off the vehicle on the two rest stops along the way - I think this was more for the driver than for the passengers.  So, the interrupted nap is not worth it.  Secondly, the scenery along the way is worth it.    For some portion, the road hugs a giant lake and the Red River.  This lends to views of terraces and farmland.  Lastly, arriving in the afternoon allows you to check in the hotel immediately, instead of being stranded for a number of hours.  

The second main difference is the climate.  Both Sa Pa and Dalat sit around 1500m above sea level, with Sa Pa being slightly cooler in winter as it is 1700km to the north.  But the main difference is geographical.  Sa Pa sits in a valley between two high ranges and the landscape forces clouds to be trapped within the city.  And this can be really thick fog, with visibility reduced down to 20 to 30m.    Google says that Sa Pa is foggy 137 days a year, with highest prevalence during the winter months.  In fact, I smiled when I saw a landmark in Sa Pa declaring it to be the "City of Fog".  In the five days I was there in December, the fog did not lift until the last day.  Some regard the fogginess as the "charm" of Sa Pa, which is true to an extent.  But it is nice to have sunlight bathe the city as well.  

The third main difference is the people.  Sa Pa is in an indigenous area of the country, with most of the people there from the ethnic Hmong, Dao, Tay and Giay tribes.   This is very noticeable.  This influences the food, which is more atypical.   It also influences their dressing.  Indigenous people are generally smaller than the average Vietnamese, less cosmopolitan, but certainly very polite.  One of the main tourist attractions in Sa Pa is an indigenous area called "Cat Cat Village" which is seated on a valley with waterfalls on both ends.  Completely commercialized, but still worth a visit.  It is one of the most instagrammed place in Sa Pa.   

The last is that Sa Pa is more adventure seeking while Dalat is more chill, although there is no doubt you can get both experiences in either place.  Many of the attractions in Sa Pa involve climbing to high places and breaking out of the cloud base in Sa Pa so that you see clear blue skies.  The major one is Fansipan, which is a transliteration of Phan Si Phan, the highest peak in Indochina standing at 3147m (10326 feet).  For most, the adventure includes taking the longest tri-lined cable car in the world at 6.3km, and the highest elevation distance between stations - 1410m.  It also includes 600 step climb to the peak from the cable car station, which at that altitude, requires some degree of fitness.  (Tip: skip the funicular ride from town and go straight to the cable car station by taxi.  Also skip the funicular ride at the top which will cost you USD6.  The total cost for the Cable Car ride is USD35 per person for the round trip.)  There is also an option to embark on a 2-3 day trek to climb from the base to the peak.  This includes an overnight stay in a barren hut.  Some people do this.  

The second is Rong May Glass Bridge which is 2300m over sea level.    This is a man-made construction at the edge of a cliff 300m over the valley floor.  It actually sits opposite Fansipan - you can see it clearly from here.  This is the second longest glass bridge in the world stretching over 600m long, and people go there for the thrill of both getting the feeling of being above the clouds, and for doing thrill activities including doing a flying fox at height, crossing a rope bridge at height, or sitting on a swing into the beyond.  Its USD20 or so for an entry, and about USD6 for every other activity.   Rong May is around 16km outside Sa Pa, but it brings you pass the O Quy Ho pass which is beautiful and has waterfalls and other vantage points.  I went out here on motorbike, but taking the taxi should not be a problem.  

Granted that Dalat also has its share of peaks, and daredevil activities, and Sa Pa would also have chill activities, in general, I would say that, by and large Dalat is better known for its cafes, its restaurants, its flower gardens and vegetable farms, while Sa Pa more for mountain climbs and views.  

Today, both have a reasonable tourist infrastructure, with many hotels, resorts and restaurants.  You are able to get around both with taxis and hired cars which remain very affordable.  And there are surely many more interesting things to do.  Its one of the special places in the world to be.